Bipolar Atty Deserved To Be Fired: Appeals Court

Law360, New York (January 5, 2012, 3:33 PM EST) -- A New York state appeals court ruled Thursday that a law firm did nothing wrong when it fired an attorney who suffered from bipolar disorder after it discovered he'd charged clients for hotel stays, calls to escort services and adult movies, overturning an earlier award of $600,000 to the lawyer.

"A petitioner's disability does not shield him from the consequences of workplace misconduct," wrote Justice James M. Catterson for a unanimous five-judge panel of the state appeals court in Manhattan.